IDE drive - how to pull files off of

If you are sure the connection is good, you might try take a small hammer, and very gently tap a few times where the spindle motor is, to see if it will spin up, sometimes magnets like to "stick" and cause strange issues to the motors.

You could also try the freezer trick, or even gently heat where the spindle is...

Chances are, either the magnets in the motor have done something funky to the motor over the years, or the lubricant in the spindle motor has dried up and is causing it to stick. Temperture changes, and taps can resolve those problems for a short while.

If you go with the heat method, be cautious, too much heat can cause damage to electrical connections, so I strongly suggest removing the PCB if you use a blow drier, and put it back on while the case is good and toasty. The heat method requires a good bit of heat, and it will feel very hot to the touch, we are talking 120F+ for the case of the drive.

But, Maxtor wasn't exactly a good brand either... sooo... But, hey, drive is most likely toast, a few taps, or really hot air wont hurt anything. :)
 
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Hit it with a hammer. :ROFLMAO: You work for NASA?! Seriously, something worth trying. It belongs to a neighbor / friend ... who knows what it's been through in the last 10 years or so. I laughed when I first saw it. 80gb? It's been a while since I've seen one of those. But I thought I'd give it a try. I will definitely tap it with a hammer. After that, it's just tough too-too's. I've already told him that it doesn't look like I'm going to be able to pull the files off of it. He's ok with that.

Thanks again to everybody who replied.
 
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